Image courtesy of Tulane School of Architecture.

With the new 2024/25 academic year in full swing, we are taking a moment to introduce fifteen newly appointed permanent faculty members at the Tulane School of Architecture (TuSA), one of Archinect’s School Partners.

The new tenure and tenure-track faculty bring expertise across Architecture, Design, Historic Preservation, and Real Estate Development, including two directors for the flagship Preservation and Real Estate programs.

TuSA Dean Iñaki Alday points to the significant growth of the school's student population over the past four years and the expansion of its academic offerings when introducing the latest faculty cohort. "Diversity of thought, experience, and background is what brings excellence in teaching and research and enriches our educational community," Alday shared.

Learn more about each incoming faculty and their unique areas of expertise below.

Directors

Eisa Esfanjary Kenari, PhD, Christovitch Associate Professor in Preservation and new Director of the Historic Preservation Program

Eisa Esfanjary Kenari, PhD, has been appointed as the Christovitch Associate Professor in Preservation and the new Director of the Historic Preservation Program. With over 15 years of teaching experience and a strong academic foundation, Esfanjary is an expert in architectural conservation, urban heritage, and historic urban landscapes. His recent work includes leading a team to create a new Management Plan for the World Heritage site Meidan Imam Square in Isfahan, Iran. At Tulane, Esfanjary envisions expanding the program’s global perspective, emphasizing hands-on workshops, and integrating New Orleans’ distinct cultural heritage into the curriculum for a rich, immersive experience.

Kenari shared: "My interests are currently concerned with: the historical and morphological development and evolution of towns and cities and understanding the underlying pattern of formation and transformation; how a particular settlement is structured and how it has matured; what features have been changed over time and what elements have been sustained in the urban landscape; and how best we can preserve what we have inherited."

John L. Renne, PhD, Henry Shane Professor in Real Estate and new Program Director of Real Estate Development

Starting January 2025, John L. Renne, PhD, AICP, will assume the role of Henry Shane Professor in Real Estate and the new Director of the Real Estate Development Program, succeeding Casius Pealer's successful decade-long tenure. Renne, who has a personal connection to New Orleans through his involvement in the city’s post-Katrina recovery, aims to elevate the program as a global leader by embedding climate resilience, urban planning, and AI into its curriculum. His research explores VR as a tool for community engagement in urban planning. Renne values the school’s 130-year legacy, collaborative spirit, and the dynamic cultural landscape of New Orleans.

"The integration of VR into community planning is an exciting frontier that I believe holds great promise for enhancing public engagement and fostering more resilient cities," Renne told us.

Permanent Faculty

Mostafa Akbari, PhD, Assistant Professor of Architecture

Mostafa Akbari, PhD, Assistant Professor of Architecture and founding Director of TuSA's new Cellular Architectures Lab, brings expertise in computational design and advanced manufacturing. Focusing on autonomous manufacturing and nature-inspired design, Akbari aims to drive sustainable innovation in architecture. Inspired by New Orleans’ unique context, he blends theory with practice, fostering creativity and efficiency in architectural education.

"At Tulane, I hope to collaborate with colleagues and students to explore how nature-inspired design principles can be applied to reduce material waste, utilize bio-based materials, and advance fabrication technologies," Akbari shared. "This approach can help us create buildings that are not only more efficient in their construction but also more harmonious with their environments throughout their entire lifecycle."

Andrea Bardón de Tena, Assistant Professor of Architecture

Andrea Bardón de Tena returns to Tulane School of Architecture as an Assistant Professor of Architecture, contributing to the school’s vision through her multidisciplinary approach. Focusing on architectural scales from structural orders to details, her work includes adaptive reuse projects that reflect a dedication to sustainability. Bardón values TuSA’s commitment to addressing global challenges and fosters independent, balanced thinking in her students.

"I believe that mastering all the scales of a project is a crucial task for an architect, without leaving aside the objects that transform the perception of space," she added.

Patti Dunn, Professor of Practice in Design

Patti Dunn, Professor of Practice in Design, brings expertise in sustainable and socially conscious textile design to the School of Architecture. With a background in industrial design, Dunn is enthusiastic about engaging with the dynamic faculty and contributing to initiatives like the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design and URBANbuild. Her practice, Tchoup Industries, explores sustainable materials, enhancing New Orleans’ vibrant educational landscape.

Dunn shared: "I would like to pursue research that centers around the sustainability hierarchy of natural vs synthetic vs recycled fibers and materials, and how designing within a scope of 'our own backyard' can positiviely impact our effects on the environment."

Aarthi Janakiraman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Preservation and Urbanism

Aarthi Janakiraman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Preservation and Urbanism, specializes in heritage conservation and the socio-spatial dynamics of postcolonial sites. Her research addresses the complexities of preserving colonial-era World Heritage sites, with an eye toward socio-spatial equity. Engaged with Tulane’s interdisciplinary approach, Janakiraman is developing her dissertation, Repurposing Colonialism, into a book and emphasizes social justice in her teaching.

"In addition to continuing to explore the spatial politics of conserving heritage in the Global South through my research, I also hope to bring more global and critical perspectives to the courses and studios I will be teaching for graduate and undergraduate students," Janakiraman commented.

Juan Medina Revilla, Professor of Practice in Architecture

Juan Medina Revilla, Professor of Practice in Architecture, returns to Tulane’s School of Architecture as a permanent faculty member, bringing a wealth of European architectural experience. Committed to fostering critical thinking, he values Tulane’s unique connection to New Orleans as a dynamic educational platform. Medina’s teaching emphasizes knowledge-sharing, trust, and integrating diverse concepts, with projects in historic retrofitting and international competitions.

"My goal is to make myself useful and give future architects the tools and knowledge they need to become critical thinkers," Revilla said, adding, "I hope I can help students to give shape to reality, to make the world a better place."

Nick Perrin, Professor of Practice in Design

Nick Perrin, Professor of Practice in Design at Tulane School of Architecture, brings a focus on circular design and enhanced fabrication to his teaching. He envisions design as a means to metabolize environmental complexities, creating poetic, serviceable solutions. Valuing Tulane’s collaborative culture, Perrin aims to inspire students to meaningfully engage with New Orleans’ unique cultural landscape through thoughtful design.

"The tendency to see our work as the intersection of creativity, the spaces we inhabit, and the industrial economy is a marginalized image of the potential of the field. I want to frame Design as a way of metabolizing conditions and offering serviceable and poetic solutions that make things and experiences better," Perrin elaborated.

Catherine Sckerl, Professor of Practice in Architecture and Managing Director of TuSA’s new Center on Climate Change and Urbanism

Catherine Sckerl is a Professor of Practice in Architecture and the Managing Director of Tulane’s new Center on Climate Change and Urbanism. She brings expertise in sustainable urbanism, focusing on Oaxaca de Juárez’s vernacular architecture and urban morphology, exploring urbanization, gentrification, and climate impacts through interdisciplinary learning and design thinking.

Sckerl shared: "I will [...] be working to launch the new Center on Climate Change and Urbanism into a hub for knowledge about climate change and built environment, and one of my goals is to build networks and platforms for sharing this work across academic, professional, and local/resident expert communities."

Sergi Serrat, Professor of Practice in Architecture

Sergi Serrat, Professor of Practice in Architecture, joined Tulane School of Architecture for its engaged community and reputation for excellence. Committed to integrating his professional insights, he aims to expand innovative design-build programs and impact New Orleans. His teaching emphasizes dialogue and mutual learning, drawing from his global experience and current work on a sustainable, flexible housing project in Spain.

"I'm eager to make a meaningful impact on the New Orleans community through my practice," Serrat pledged. "In this context, the school’s design and build programs are particularly compelling. Additionally, the small Center for Collaborative Design appears to be a promising platform for fostering synergies and innovation."

Emilie Taylor Welty, Associate Professor of Architecture

Emilie Taylor Welty, now Associate Professor of Architecture, continues her roles as Architecture Program Director and Design-Build Manager at the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design. In this tenure-track position, she focuses on applied research relevant to New Orleans communities and aims to publish a book on design-build education, spotlighting programs like the Small Center and URBANbuild. Welty’s teaching emphasizes collaborative, hands-on learning and community engagement, aligning with her private practice, Colectivo, and projects in inclusive monument design.

"One of the first projects I’m moving forward in this Tenure Track role is a book on design-build education — something we do incredibly well here at TuSA through our Small Center and URBANbuild programs, both coming up on their 20-year anniversaries!" Welty said. "The thing about us design-build folks is that we’re so busy making that we rarely make time to write about it."

Professional Leaders

Steve Dumez, Professor of Practice in Architecture

Steve Dumez, FAIA, Professor of Practice and partner at EskewDumezRipple, values studio-based reciprocal learning, demonstrated by his LSU library project that exemplifies his commitment to meaningful, context-responsive design.

"I’m always amazed at the enthusiam and perspective that students and young interns bring to the design process in our studio," Dumez explained. "They are often unburdened by the realities of professional practice, with codes, budgets, engineering realities and client/community expectations added to the mix. Partly due to this, as well as simply the creative energy of youth, their perspectives add tremendous value to our work. I hope that my perspective and experience navigating these realities — and how they can contribute to a meaningful architecture — might strenthen their own design process."

Jonathan Tate, Professor of Practice in Architecture

Returning as a Professor of Practice, Jonathan Tate brings his award-winning expertise from OJT, enriching Tulane’s curriculum with a focus on housing research and solutions to contemporary urban challenges.

"Teaching offers a unique opportunity as a practitioner to focus on matters traditionally more academic (research, investigations, etc.). Anticipating that being a regular participant in this environment will foment more work from us of this sort," Tate noted.

Cynthia Dubberley, Professor of Practice in Architecture

As a new Professor of Practice, Cynthia Dubberley, TuSA alumna (M.Arch ’98), channels her passion for architecture to inspire students, aiming to instill robust design thinking for professional readiness.

"I love seeing what the students come up with, and it takes me back to why I went into architecture in the first place. Their creative energy inspires me. I want my students to be prepared to enter the profession and truly understand design thinking," Dubberley mentioned.

Liz Russell, Professor of Practice in Architecture

Liz Russell, Louisiana State Director at the Environmental Defense Fund, joins as Professor of Practice, bringing expertise in climate resilience and adaptation to challenge students on societal issues through Tulane’s interdisciplinary approach.

Russell summarized her goals: "As our region faces the increasing effects of the climate crises, I hope to support cohorts of students that can not only think about tough questions but design and innovate in the face of them. I have the privilege of working at the intersection of design and policy, where human, institutional, and systemic scales intertwine, converge, and confront one another. [...] I intend to grow an archive of mappings and interventions that illustrate and engage the implications of evolving conditions, while hypothesizing and detailing plans to address them across temporal and physical scales."